Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard is a trained classical pianist, music educator and choir conductor who found her calling as an administrator in large urban schools. In September, Vanden Wyngaard took over as superintendent at the Albany City School District. She is the district’s first black female superintendent. Those who know her call her Dr. V.

Talk about your childhood in Michigan.

I grew up in Western Michigan in Rockford, the home of Hushpuppies shoes. We were one of several families of color in an all-white community. So, in my school of more than 400 students, two were students of color.

It was difficult to move there when you’re young. No one wants to be called the N-word on the playground. But it also allowed for me to have a clear understanding of educational expectations. I actually knew what I had to do, how to get to college. My parents both being college graduates also knew how to get a child to college.

What do your parents do?

My mother is a professor at Grand Valley State University in Michigan in the music department. My father, who’s retired, was a computer genius. My brother is a computer genius in the aerospace industry.

You attended Grand Valley as a music major, and that meant taking a required course taught by your mother. How did that work?

We made sure that all the papers were typed and anonymous. I’m sure my classmates weren’t happy about that, but we went to great lengths so that I could participate.

Your music roots run deep.

I’m a third-generation pianist. My mother and grandmother were pianists, and my mom was a concert pianist. I ended up being a choral major and I taught secondary choral music through the public school system. My first job was in Racine, Wisconsin.

I was involved in a variety of church choirs and community choirs. At one point, I was conducting 14 choirs. I’ve conducted at Notre Dame and at churches in Germany, France and England. Music opened up the world for me.

Do you sing?

Yes, I do. And no, I won’t sing for you.

What’s your genre?

I’m classically trained and I venture into jazz and vocal jazz. If I had my way, I’d be singing vocals with a jazz band.

I read an article in a New Jersey newspaper that described your leadership style as “assertive and demanding.” Fair assessment?

Yes it is. But I’m an equal opportunity “assertive and demanding” leader. I expect people to be accountable for their work, from how you go about cleaning a school, to how one goes about picking up and driving students, to how one educates or leads a building. I’m equally assertive and demanding of myself as well.

What do you see as the Albany City School District’s greatest challenges?

We have a tax base that is skewed by public buildings. Fifty-seven percent of our properties are tax-exempt.

The influence of charter schools and the way in which they are managed causes 45.5 percent of our aid to go to them. Those are Albany kids, so I care how they do. And I expect that set of schools to do as well or better and be just as demanding and accountable as I hold our schools. That causes an issue for Albany.

We have to have social workers, psychologists, community services. We have to partner with the city around truancy to be sure students get to school.

On the academic side, there are low literacy and mathematics rates. So building a support for staff to become stronger is one of the challenges. I have to help them become better because we haven’t done that well.

But we need money to do all that.

Those are huge hurdles.

You wouldn’t send a doctor for a well child. So, hey, that’s why I’m here. If there’s not a challenge, there’s no point in coming.

What makes Albany unique is that we have groups like Albany Promise that are convening community groups and asking how they can help with those services and other needs so that I can concentrate on academic acceleration. [Note: Albany Promise, formed in 2011, is a group of educational, civic and business leaders working to improve education in Albany.]

I really believe Albany is uniquely poised to produce a powerful support structure for our students and families.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I used to do voice over for commercials for the Detroit Pistons [NBA basketball team]. I did the same thing for Meijer grocery stores, local car dealerships, banks, whatever the job was that somebody needed. You’re the mystery person in a voice over.

I also used to model. But you can’t really have your superintendent in the shopper flier. It doesn’t sell that well.

Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard

Age: 54Professional: Superintendent of the Albany City School DistrictPrevious: Deputy superintendent, Paterson Public Schools, a 28,000-student district in New JerseyGrew up: Rockford, MichiganResides: AlbanyEducation: Bachelor’s in music education from Grand Valley State University in Michigan; master’s in education from Calvin College, also in Michigan; Doctorate in curriculum instruction from Kent State University in Ohio.Family: Single, 8-year-old adopted daughter who attends Albany City Schools